The Provincial Court of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has decreased the sentence of the trio accused of robbing a supermarket in La Laguna. Initially, they were charged with robbery involving violence and intimidation in a public place using a fake gun, but only one charger was found.
The appeal was accepted due to the inability to prove the dangerousness of the weapon used in the robbery. As a result, the sentences have been reduced from the initial four and a half years imposed on one of them to three years and ten months, and are now four years and three months and three and a half years for the other two convicts, who had originally been sentenced to five years.
In their appeal following the criminal court’s verdict, one of them claimed they did not agree to carry out the robbery and were unaware of the events. The other two alleged that the store was closed at the time of the incident and that the weapon used was fake.
Furthermore, one of them stated that “he was coerced into committing the crime due to threats made by one of the other detainees.”
Upon review, it was established that the robbery took place during the store’s opening hours; hence, the mitigating circumstance of confession was dismissed as it occurred after the police obtained footage of the robbery from a camera at a nearby gas station.
The three individuals carried out the robbery on the night of October 4, 2022, at a supermarket in the Guajara neighbourhood in La Laguna using a car belonging to the mother of one of the accused, while the owners were preparing to close.
One of the robbers entered the store, approached the cashier, brandished what appeared to be a real gun, and demanded money. The employee handed over 700 Euros.
According to the ruling, one of the convicted individuals remained outside, keeping watch, while another stayed in the car to facilitate their escape, which they did swiftly after acquiring the money.
Subsequently, the son of the car owner, who had the keys, was apprehended wearing a sweatshirt identical to that of the robber, with a knife and a gun charger – items used in the crime.
The supermarket owner did not seek reimbursement as she had been compensated by the insurance company. One of the accused has been in remand since late October, while another was acquitted.